Betty Starobinsky

Looking back on my educational experiences, I have always

known I wanted to become a music teacher. I always knew I wanted to
have the same impact on the lives of my future students that my
teachers had on my life. Its a simple task of paying it forward, and
touching the lives of the unreachable students, the quiet students, and
the students who didnt think they were good at anything.

It was not until my sophomore year of high school that I was truly
inspired to teach. It was my first year in show choir. After seeing a
school assembly, I was inspired to transition to the show choir because
it seemed new and exciting. It took singing to a new level, and I
wanted to be part of it. I remember the first day of Show Choir as if it
was yesterday. The teacher walked into the classroom and told us how
she spent her summer: tap dancing on a piece of plywood in her
backyard. To any normal person, this would be silly, but not to those
that knew her. They knew that each summer Mrs. Depalo would come
back with something new and exciting. She took every opportunity she
had to expand her knowledge as a teacher, and during that school
year, we learned how to tap dance. Each year after that, we were
introduced to a new and electrifying experience.

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I felt honored to be a part of this ensemble. The amount of excitement I felt as

each semester approached was indescribable, because there was no telling what Ms.
DePaolo would bring. It is from her that I became truly inspired and where my teaching
foundation was inspired, and further evolved by Aaron Copland School of Music.

Music can develop self-expression, and help boost self-esteem. It

teaches
students to work together for the same cause, and if you practice, you
can achieve
excellence. Music develops the left side of the brain, and improves
grades on
standardized tests. It teaches students to become more tolerant of
other cultures.
Most importantly, it teaches you to conquer your fears and take risks.

There are many advantages of having a music program in any school. It is

further developed by ensuring you have a strong educator leading the
program, and an administrative that supports their educators. The
following is a list of characteristics that I
believe is imperative in order to be a successful music educator.

As a music educator, it is important that one builds an

environment that is

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advantageous for every student. Material should be presented in clear

ways, so each
type of learner can have an opportunity to learn and succeed. The
educator should
be equipped with different tools, so when one tool does not work,
another one can be implemented. This goal is an important goal, and
not only necessary for special
learners, but for all learners.

Through excellence, music educators should demonstrate

professionalism.
They should be professional in all aspects of their career. They should
be
knowledgeable in their field, and continually try to improve their
knowledge and
teaching skills. They should communicate with others in their field,
attend conferences and workshops, look through program banks and
utilize other resources available to them. They should use selfreflection and be open to constructive criticism from colleagues and
from their students. They should have an open mind to constantly grow
as a teacher because they love to teach and learn. They should dress
for success and be a good role model - if a teachers appearance shows

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that he/she does not care about what they teach, then why should the
students care?

Professionalism does not always mean things go according to the

lesson plan.
As an educator, a lesson plan is necessary but as an educator we learn
that not
everything goes according to plans. Besides everyday interruptions,
there are many
factors that determine whether or not a lesson plan will be a success in
the
classroom. It is a true educators responsibility to embrace those
factors and try and
work around them. By utilizing their bag of tricks, it is their mission to
make it a
learning experience for everyone - whether it requires further
explanations, a
simple brain break, or even a five minute digression - it might provide
the class
with the exact factor that was needed and allow one to finish their
lesson.

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A great educator learns from their mistakes. Every day is an

opportunity to
learn and grow as an educator. Educators must become scientists in
their everyday
teaching. If something doesnt work, it is their responsibility to seek
answers,
document it, learn from it, and be open to adapting their teaching. Not
everything will work for every student or every class. Nor will the same
lesson plan work five years from now. It is a matter of knowing the
students you teach, allowing yourself to be willing to fail, and being
strong enough to overcome it.

We have an important job as educators. We have the power to

inspire our students. We can make them do things they never thought
they could do. We become more than just educators to our students.
We become rock stars walking through the hallways. We become
therapists offering advice and solutions. We become their role models,
and for some of our students, the only adult interaction they have. Our
profession is important and impacts all the lives of the students that
we encounter. The minute we stop believing that what we does makes
a difference, is the minute that we should leave our profession.

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